Sharon Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 (edited) Anima Animus: It really is a fantastic ballet - I attended the premiere in San Francisco and it was so utterly beautiful I cried. But watching Sofiane Sylve live again and in a David Dawson ballet was not to be missed. She has always been one of my favourite ballerina's - and I'm so pleased she's returning to Europe, I plan on travelling to Germany - lots! Hopefully this brilliant ballet will encourage people to check out David Dawson's ballet's it future. One our most talented artists along with Cathy Marston, and I hope to see lots more of his amazing ballet's. Edited May 2, 2020 by Jan McNulty edited to add ballet title for new feedback thread 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted April 16, 2020 Share Posted April 16, 2020 Hmm, I liked this showing rather more than it seems I did when I watched it at Sadler's Wells last year. Possibly the change in casting may have made a difference. Or maybe just absence making the heart grow fonder ... The more petite of the ballerinas was, as I had suspected, Maria Kochetkova, who I thought was excellent as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charliewise Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 This week's ballet is Let's Begin at the End, choreographed by Dwight Rhoden with music by Bach, Philip Glass and Michael Nyman. This was a new one on me but I really enjoyed it. The Unbound festival in 2018 must have been incredible! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 I certainly got that impression from the reviews. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 13 hours ago, charliewise said: The Unbound festival in 2018 must have been incredible! they performed many of the pieces from 'Unbound' when they visited Sadlers Wells last summer - and incredible it was indeed! 🙂 Sadly, the theatre wasn't packed out as to my mind it deserved to be - probably a poorly timed visit, coinciding with the end of the RB season, plus lots happening elsewhere at the same time. I hope next time they come to London they take this sort of thing into account 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 Plus all unknown works, plus poor scheduling of the individual programmes so that you couldn't e.g. come for a long weekend and catch several or all at once ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janite Posted April 21, 2020 Share Posted April 21, 2020 I thought Let's Begin at the End was great, I am becoming increasing impressed by them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nycitybird Posted April 25, 2020 Share Posted April 25, 2020 Just watched Your Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem by Trey McIntyre and really enjoyed it. Great music and witty choreography. I've hardly ever seen ballet to modern music with lyrics and it was a nice change. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannette Posted April 25, 2020 Share Posted April 25, 2020 Loved Your Flesh... in general but was extremely impressed by the leading dancer, Benjamin Fremantle, in the final two songs. So touching. Too, I was absolutely taken by the music by Chris Garneau. There’s nothing like a traditionally tuneful score to take a ballet over the finish line! So far, I’ve loved this one and Anima Animus the most, among SFB’s digital offerings. Very grateful for the opportunity to see them all, whether I like them or not. Bring them on! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 Another piece that we saw when SFB visited Sadlers Wells - Infinite Ocean (by Edwaard Liang). And another winner for me! Danced to the backdrop of the rising sun (or so it looked to me anyway), the 12 dancers (2 main couples and a corps) danced some impressive choreography to music by Oliver Davis. Described as "hovering in the space between life and death, when spirits must let go of whatever ties them to the physical world. It’s a time he calls ‘the awakening' " - according to the choreographer, it worked for me! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 I've only watched 2 of SFB's streamed performances and I have loved both of them. I loved David Dawson's Anima Animus with it's eloquent and fluid choreography. This morning I watched Edward Liang's The Infinite Ocean and was swept away by its beauty. It is for 6 couples - 3 of them have duets. The opening sequence really gave the impression of the ocean lapping (fairly gently) at the beach with the dancers gathered in a cluster and moving their arms. I thought all 3 duets within the work were lovely and it was great to see ex-BRB favourite Tiit Helimets in the first one. In the end all the couples are together and they gradually disappear over the back of the stage, possibly the tide going out. One dancer is left and she leaps over - a surfer? I would love to see both of these ballets live. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannette Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 I totally agree with you, Jan. An extremely moving, powerful work of art. Yuan Yuan Tan must possess the most lyrical and expressive instrument (physique) for ballet on earth! She may be petite but she registers “long.” I can only imagine her Odette or Nikita 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon Posted May 3, 2020 Author Share Posted May 3, 2020 I loved Edward Liang's ballet - specifically because it featured my favourite, Sofiane Sylve in a wonderful pdd with the strong reliable Tiits Helimets. She displayed yet again why she is so admired. It was a refreshing and light hearted piece - enjoyable in the fact that no deep thinking or analysis was necessary. You could just sit back and enjoy the beautiful dancing. I particularly loved the quirky ending with Yuan Yuan Tan. I will definitely watch this again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannette Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 (edited) Between this latest offering (Infinite Ocean), Anima Animus & Your Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem, San Francisco has truly been “bringing it” during this COVID-19 season! (What else to call it? - “the spring 2020 situation season”?) I didn’t particularly like Pacific NWBallet’s first stream - too modern for my taste - but they’ll be making up for it with next week’s historical Giselle (that one by donation). Edited May 3, 2020 by Jeannette 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninamargaret Posted May 10, 2020 Share Posted May 10, 2020 I have just watched and enjoyed their R and J. I thought there were some good things in it - particularly liked Tybalt wiping his sword after killing Mercutio, and I liked the way the Nurse was shown as a woman who had probably been more responsible for Juliet's upbringing than Lady C. I also like the idea of Tybalt 's body being in the tomb - not sure why this was dropped by the RB. The crowd scenes looked a bit cramped, I don't know if it's a particularly small stage. I still prefer Macmillan, but this was pretty good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannette Posted May 29, 2020 Share Posted May 29, 2020 Thoroughly enjoyed Marston’s Snowblind. This choreographer is a story teller above all. Great cast: Birkkjaer, Van Patten, Froustey and ensemble. A 30-minute work that packs a punch. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted May 29, 2020 Share Posted May 29, 2020 Here is Cathy Marston's Snowblind, part of SFB's Unbound Festival and one which was shown in their season last year at the Wells ... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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